Mazi Smith's performance

[morat1959]

Slow and got blown off the ball consistently

Agreed. I don’t know what some on here are watching.

 

[GORICO]

If you sign those 3 to what they want, you won't be able to get a lot of very good players signed.

ksboys--- part of it is we play hardball with contracts....and players feel you dont like them....but i know we cant give everyone top dollar....but....remember how Tom Brady took less

to have monies for players....there was good chemistry....but if players feel you dont really want them they are going to also play hardball with contracts......and i also get it that NFL is

hard to be one of the best and due to injuries that can happen i see players trying to make all they can....but some players like to play for some teams more than others and will take

less.....but this Trey Lance thing makes Dak feel "they dont truly respect me and my play"....so now its top dollar....that i believe it cowboys fault too.....but i am not a pro as player or

coach or money manager....after losing Sam Williams i just hope we dont lose anymore real good players

 

[GORICO]

Mazi was supposed to be this athletic freak that had tremendous power and was a great run stuffing DT in last year’s draft class

So far— none of that has materialized. If he can’t display power vs NFL backups, he is simply not what anyone thought he was when he was drafted.

The question is why? He has been an enigma since being drafted. Is it mental? Is it motivational? Is it physical?

If we are having to try and coax, coddle, and convince a player to try and play at an NFL caliber level, we are better off cutting him if he doesn’t show anything this preseason.

Move on and make him a cautionary tale for other young players to learn from.

Depending on unreliable people to perform and produce is a horrid roster building strategy.

cannot disagree

 

[Chuck 54]

I thought Mazi and Carl Davis both looked good vs the run.
If you also want Mazi to generate pass rush, that’s not coming anytime soon.

 

[speedkilz88]

55 is Willie Harvey and 68 is Albert Huggins

 

[Pola_pe_a]

To all those saying he is too slow getting off the ball. How many are expert DC's to know what his assignment actually is? He is not pass rusher, so he needs to react to the run so he needs to read then react as to the direction of the play.
So is he really that slow, or is it just a thing against a player.

How many can really tell from watching him on a TV screen with the camera half way up the stadium when you see the entire offense and defense at the same time.

I will give him more time, it is his 2nd year, and he had no offseason work due to shoulder surgery.

Doesn’t matter the technique he”s playing, being slow off the ball is always a detriment, Read and react still requires a player to be quick off the ball so they can stalemate the OL and then shed. That takes good hand positioning and keeping guys off your chest. His slow first step allows players to get into him and he get’s turned.

You can easily watch line play on TV. TV copy is actually filmed tighter than the All-22 coaches use.

 

[FuzzyLumpkins]

Mazi was supposed to be this athletic freak that had tremendous power and was a great run stuffing DT in last year’s draft class

So far— none of that has materialized. If he can’t display power vs NFL backups, he is simply not what anyone thought he was when he was drafted.

The question is why? He has been an enigma since being drafted. Is it mental? Is it motivational? Is it physical?

If we are having to try and coax, coddle, and convince a player to try and play at an NFL caliber level, we are better off cutting him if he doesn’t show anything this preseason.

Move on and make him a cautionary tale for other young players to learn from.

Depending on unreliable people to perform and produce is a horrid roster building strategy.

Last year they were playing a sell out 1 gap scheme. This year they are not. You can see where guys are supposed to hold their ground to give lanes for the LB now as opposed to last year's FFA.

Nothing you say here is wrong but I think our expectations were off.

DT take time to develop. He is putting in the work and using techniques that are new to him to positive effect.

 

[FuzzyLumpkins]

Doesn’t matter the technique he”s playing, being slow off the ball is always a detriment, Read and react still requires a player to be quick off the ball so they can stalemate the OL and then shed. That takes good hand positioning and keeping guys off your chest. His slow first step allows players to get into him and he get’s turned.

You can easily watch line play on TV. TV copy is actually filmed tighter than the All-22 coaches use.

Sure and you think that Mazi was .5s and more off the snap like most of last year yesterday?

What stood out to me was that Mazi was one of two players that jumped when a Ram false started.

 

[Jfconrow]

Then you should look at the Rams game again.

Yea I know y’all are right, don’t have time anymore. Let’s go Mazi

 

[Hawkeye0202]

 

[Pola_pe_a]

Sure and you think that Mazi was .5s and more off the snap like most of last year yesterday?

What stood out to me was that Mazi was one of two players that jumped when a Ram false started.

Not going to speak on the PS game because I didn’t watch it. I was taking issue with the idea that being slow off the ball may be due to technique being taught. There’s no technique where being slow acceptable.

Here’s what I saw when I watched him last year. And these are plays I focused on him
1. Slow off the ball- been beat to death
2. Plays with poor leverage. He gives up his chest too easily because he plays high
3. He leans and doesn’t bring his feet. That mitigates his power
4. Lacks a pass rush plan. If his initial power gets stuffed he doesn’t adjust

4 isn’t as big a deal as the others but Mazi’s poor technique mitigates his strength and athleticism. He may be able to improve but I have serious doubts he’ll ever be anything more than a run down guy.

 

[FuzzyLumpkins]

LOL how many Hawkeyes are there?

 

[FuzzyLumpkins]

Not going to speak on the PS game because I didn’t watch it. I was taking issue with the idea that being slow off the ball may be due to technique being taught. There’s no technique where being slow acceptable.

Here’s what I saw when I watched him last year. And these are plays I focused on him
1. Slow off the ball- been beat to death
2. Plays with poor leverage. He gives up his chest too easily because he plays high
3. He leans and doesn’t bring his feet. That mitigates his power
4. Lacks a pass rush plan. If his initial power gets stuffed he doesn’t adjust

4 isn’t as big a deal as the others but Mazi’s poor technique mitigates his strength and athleticism. He may be able to improve but I have serious doubts he’ll ever be anything more than a run down guy.

I think it was a result of Mazi not knowing how to process his read on the move or whatever they were trying to teach him. Seems pretty straightforward.

The point is that it is now this year and Mazi is trying many new techniques and reprising other's he had success with at Michigan.

The Sturm video shown above demonstrates this happening very well. You see him shed to play side and you see him switch shoulders/gap and shed. You see him chase a screen down behind the line.

It's not perfect but it is a heck of a lot better than what we saw last year.

 

[stilltheguru]

Thread got quiet

 

[speedkilz88]

Thread got quiet

Roaches always hide when you turn on the lights.

 

[jwitten82]

Not sure whats impressive about that 4 play at 22 seconds, they gained 4 yards

 

[FuzzyLumpkins]

Not sure whats impressive about that 4 play at 22 seconds, they gained 4 yards

Because he got beat off the snap and used his hands to recover, get to the right gap, and make the play. As pointed out it is not perfect but it is definitely progress.

 

[FuzzyLumpkins]

People are asking for an example of athleticism: that play at 22 seconds shows it.

The OL has him and it takes a lot strength, balance, and coordination to switch gaps like that, shed, and finish.

 

[jwitten82]

Because he got beat off the snap and used his hands to recover, get to the right gap, and make the play. As pointed out it is not perfect but it is definitely progress.

Lol 4 yards is progress? Our opponents will take that everytime

 

[atlantacowboy]

Should this apply to Schoonmaker as well? Does he get the same grace?

Should this apply to Schoonmaker as well? Does he get the same grace?

Anyone taken in the first 3 rounds of the draft should get grace for at least 2 years to show why they deserved that spot. But, early returns aren't good for either player.